Somalia: Fifa Rejects SFF. Plan to Increase League 1 Teams

World footbal gorvening body FIFA has refuded Plan by Somali Football Federation to Include 10 Teams in the Somali Level 1 Championship

In therequest, SFF wanted to convince Gaadiidka Team and Dekkada Team. The recent tournament season ended in quarrels and corruption after LLP Jenyo dismissed in a planned manner Gaadiidka which would miss the Somali Championship. On one occasion, before even the two teams played, the senior members of federation and the referees' committee already knew the outcome of the match and people were talking it before the kick off of the match and that they couldn't do anything about that match fixing hence Dekkada which was in the sixth position of the championship influenced that match fixing but the leaders of Dekkada refused to play against Elman for the last match of the tournament and that caused confusion in judging the teams which remained.

Abdiqani Said Arab, the secretary who mans SFF as if he is the chairperson and who was out of the country during the final part of the tournament tried to change the number of teams with the intention of winning votes in future when the new elections will take place. Then 10 teams participated in the championship including Dekkada and Gaadiidka of which their quarrelling ended up in clanism and use of power.

However, the plan by Abdiqani Said Arab of trying to allow those teams to continue participating in the tournament in exchange of their votes failed after FIFA replied to his request in a letter which they said they will think of increasing the number of the teams in the tournament in the next two years. This was told Laacib by senior members of SFF.

Every year, FIFA pays $100 thousands to develop football in Somalia. But that money gets directly into the pockets of the leaders of SFF, the first one being Abdiqani Said Arab. After Konis Stadium was refurbished and it started hosting the championship tournament, the ambition of the teams increased and SFF held several meetings discussing the need to hold the tournament in advance so as to generate quick income for themselves as there are gate collections.

This was the outcome of the last championship tournament:

Team Name MP W L D Pts

1. Banadir S.C 14 10 0 4 34

2. Elman FC 14 8 2 4 28

3. Heegan FC 14 7 4 3 24

4. Jeenyo United 14 6 3 5 23

5. Horseed 14 4 5 5 17

6. Gaadiidka 14 3 8 3 12

7. Dekkada 14 3 8 3 12

8. Savana 14 1 12 1 4

In the rest of the world except Somalia, there is no way the winner of the tournament can be announced without the knowledge of those teams that were defeated and left.

Finally SFF decided to organise a repeat match for those two teams but one of the management of those teams rejected it. Now, the question is if the federation failed to make use of the rules and the regulations of the game, should force be used?.